Emirates Consulting, a United Arab Emirates based-company has proposed to build a high-speed racing facility [Canadian Motor Speedway] with plans to seat 65,000 with the potential of seating 100,000 on 821 acres of land southwest of the Bowen Road QEW interchange [Fort Erie area, Ontario, Canada]. McMaster University has also attached its name with plans for a research and development centre at the site. Currently the land is designated as an agricultural, hazard and extractive industrial zone which requires a by-law amendment from both the Town of Fort Erie and the Niagara Region. After the meeting, council unanimously supported a staff report for informational purposes, essentially moving one of many steps ahead toward final approval. Before any discussion from the mayor and council, the public was given an opportunity to either give comments of support for the project or to speak against it. Ten individuals stepped up to the podium from both sides of the argument. Azhar Mohammad, executive director of Emirates Consulting said after the meeting that people’s concerns are legitimate, but they need to be assured that “the best of the best” has been assembled for the planning and construction of the facility, which is expected to be complete by 2011 if everything goes as it is planned. “All our reports have been highly sophisticated and detailed to mitigate those concerns,” he said after the public meeting. He understands traffic, air quality and noise are the three primary issues when it comes to concerned residents, but those three things have been heavily addressed in the planning so far and will continue to be until it is approved. “We have worked over the last two years with 85 different Ontario-based engineers that have done nothing but study the modalities of these kinds of speedways,” said Mohammad. In the proposal, there are also plans for a water park, retail outlets, restaurants and many other features.(Times of Fort Erie)(9-10-2009)
